I would say no. The two episodes that have been broadcast so far deal a lot with character introductions, and the series as a whole has sort of been billed as an origin story, at least as far as I can tell.

I'll definitely give this a shot later. My only experience with Lupin III was a crossover with Detective Conan, and I really liked it. What kept me away was probably the age and condition of the franchise. It's a bit all over the place, like Gundam.

Some people say Lupin is a gentlemen thief like in Cagliostro. Others say he's a vile pervert like in the older versions of the manga. This new series shows events from Fujiko's point of view. Each Lupin story is like a legend that may or may not be true.

With Gundam, you have multiple "universes", each with their own time line. Some harken back to the original series while others go a completely different route.

With Lupin, there really is no "continuity". With the exception of a few episodes of the TV series, there's no need to watch things in order and even when things contradict each other it's ok. The Episode 0 special perfectly defines the franchise: You see what you think is the story of the gang meeting for the 1st time, and then at the end... everything is thrown in doubt!

This is my first watch of a Lupin anime (I know, I know... I need to get with the program) but during the first episode I never felt as if I wasn't privvy to what was going on. No overly elaborate in-jokes, no references to previous installments... Just action from start to finish.

I think I am in love. This is my first real taste of the Lupin franchise (I watched the Detective Conan crossover special but I don't really count that) and I absolutely loved it. The music, the artwork, the voice actors, everything! Someone mentioned that this series is a work of art and I am incline to agree.

And why are some people making a big deal about the nudity? It is just boobs. We all know/seen what boobs look like so what is the big deal? Lighten up, folks.

I think I am in love. This is my first real taste of the Lupin franchise (I watched the Detective Conan crossover special but I don't really count that) and I absolutely loved it. The music, the artwork, the voice actors, everything! Someone mentioned that this series is a work of art and I am incline to agree.

And why are some people making a big deal about the nudity? It is just boobs. We all know/seen what boobs look like so what is the big deal? Lighten up, folks.

I was a little worried the new voices would not work out but they got it near identical. This series really captures the essence of what Lupin the 3rd is all about. I'm also glad Funi got this and with the original season coming soon from Discotek. This is all just amazing. I never would have thought Lupin would have made such a huge comeback.

Though admittedly my prior experience with Lupin is minor at best (a few movies and a geomantic toss of episodes), this series has matured a typically zany atmosphere to something metonymic to noir detective stories--more introspective with a stoic touch, the "shit sucks, but take it with a grin" attitude--which I find particularly attractive. Bebop had a similar mise en scene (Ganymede Shuffle, My Funny Valentine, Honky Tonk Woman, etc.), but I think this show capitalizes on it[1], especially in the aesthetic itself--one cannot help but appreciate the merit of the art in and of itself. Like others have said--and I dig how Spastic Minnow put it--this series facilitates new audiences, but simultaneously provides just as much incentive for the most familiar of fans[2] (I surmise as much, at least).

[1] This isn't to detract from Bebop, but that the noir aspect was subtler; maybe something like comparing Ruby My Dear to 'Round Midnight in that this series is more solemn.

[2] Compare to the in progress Evangelion tetralogy which attempts the same multivalence with a rather poor effect (namely because it is just a retelling in which extensive re-hashing is inevitable).

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